Apparatus for starting internal-combustion engines and also for other purposes



A. l. ODIER. APPARATUS FOR STARTING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES AND ALSO FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-11,1919.

M W m l W.

h m a 4 A. I; ODIER. APPARATUS FOR STARTING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES AND ALSO FOR OTHER PURPOSES. I APPLICATION FILED AUG- II| I919.

1,339, 11 1 Patented May 11, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.'

. in Figs. 3, it and 5is UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTOINE ISIDORE ODIER, 0F PUTEAUX, FRANCE.

APPARATUS FOR STARTING INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES AND ALSO FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

for otherpurposes, wherein the casing inclosingthe starting pulley is fixed on the actual engine. In that arrangement the reaction of the starting strain is borne by the engine. For some purposes however it ma apparatus shall not be fixed on the engine.

Such is more particularly the case when the starting apparatus isto be used for starting an enginemounted inan aeroplane or on the testing bench. ,For such applications it is absolutely necessaryto have a support at a point independent ofthe engine, for example on the ground. 4

The present invention hasfor its object improvements in the apparatus described in my aforesaid earlierpatent application, designed to constitute aremovable apparatus capable of imparting rotary motion to any shaft, and more particularly to the shaft of an internal combustion engine,- for effecting the starting of the said engine. The apparatus thus modified, and constituting the improved apparatus,comprises the same essential elements as the starting apparatusdescribed in my saidearlier 'patcut-application, but the starting'apparatus proper is combined with devices designed to allow of. adapting it instantaneously to the engine to be started, and to be disengaged from the said engine as soon as the latter is really starte v The accompanying drawings illustrate by way-of example two constructional forms of this invention. The first constructional in Figures 1 and ,2, is more particularly designed for starting aeroplane engines, while the second constructional form illustrated motorcar engines. v V p Fig. 1 is averticaldongitudinal sect on ofthe first constructional form of the m- Specification of Letters Patent.

be advisable that the entire starting der .9.

form illustrated designed for startingv Patented May 11, 1920.

Application filed August 11, 1919. SerialNo. 316,719.

proved apparatus. This figure shows the application of the apparatus for starting an aeroplane engine. 1'

. Fig. 2 is aside ratus. v

vFig. 3 is a side elevation of the improved apparatus designed for starting motorcar engines.

Fig. tis a plan thereof.

Fig. 5 is a section of the apparatus on the line I--I of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a section of a detail on the line IIII of Fig. 5.

Fig.1? is a diagrammatic front elevation illustrating the application of the improved apparatus for starting a motorcar engine.

, Referring to the constructional form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the improved apparatus for starting aeroplane engines comprises the following essential parts In the casing. 1 there rotates freely a shaft 2 on the inner end of which is fixed a grooved pulley 3. The other end of this shaft projecting outside of the casing is considerably swelled and is recessed; it carelevation of the said apparies a certain number of driving studs 4:.

which project beyond the periphery of the shaft. A plate 5 closes the outer portion of the casing, andsupports bymeans of a bearing (3 the, inner end of the shaft 2.

A second plate (7) serves for the attachment by means of bolts, of a strut 8 which is thereby rigidly connected to the casing 1. The plates 5 and 7' are suitably curved in such a manner as to envelop and fix the cylinder 9 of 'the starting apparatus. A. piston, on oneend of which is mounted a pulley 10, is adapted to work in the cylin- A cableengaging a lug 11 of the plate 7 makes half a turn around the pulley 10 then four turns around the pulley 3, an

finally. half a turn around the pulley 12 fixed on the strut.-

To the end :13 of the cable there is atached a spring 14 (preferably of rubber) and'the end of this spring is attached in its turn to a fixed point 15 of the plates 5 land 7 "The spring 14 is inclosed in a tube 16 whose end 17 is made sufliciently wide to allow of the running portion of the spring to pass through, but is too small to allow of the passage ofthe link that connects the springfto the cable. A telescoping foot 18 Lil capable of adjustment by hand, is connected to the upper end of the strut. It can be held in the desired position by means of an arm 19 that can be readily locked in posi tion by means of a catch 20.

To the end of the cylinder 9 there is attached a pipe 21 leading to a tap 22 bolted to the strut 8. This tap has a screw thread on which there is adapted to be screwed by hand either a flask of liquid carbolic acid 23' as shown in Fig. 2, or a pipe communicating with a suitable pressure generator or reservoir.

On the end of the shaft 24 which is desired to be started, there is bolted a lug 25 which is cut in the form of a ratchet wheel having as many teeth as there are studs 4 on the shaft 2. V r

It is to be understood that the direction of the ratchet teeth must be so chosen as to insure that the shaft 2 shall drive the shaft 24 when the said shaft 2 is revolving in the direction of rotation which it is desired to impart to the shaft 24, and that when the shaft 24 is revolving in the desired direction and the shaft 2 is stopped, the pawls will automatically disengage the entirestartingapparatus from the part or device to be started.

The operation of the improved apparatus is as follows :Assuming that it is desired to start in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2, an engine mounted on an aeroplane, the hub of the propeller of the aeroplane being indicated at 29, the starting apparatus must be brought up to the said hub in such a manner that the studs 4 of. the shaft 2 shall engage with the teeth of the driving lug 25. The end 27 of the strut 8 is made to bear upon the ground and the telescoping foot 18 is adjusted so that the said foot bears likewise upon the ground. The'whole arrangement is then looked in position by tightening the catch 20 of the coni spring 14.

' necting rod 19. Then on pressing the tap lever 22, a certain quantity of compressed gas will be admitted into thecylinder'so as to push the piston and consequently the pulley 10. The effort received by this pulley is resolved into two equal tensile strains, namely one acting upon the end 11 of the cable and the other acting upon that portion ofthe cable which. makes four turns around the pulley 3 and is connected to the After the piston has made a certain length of stroke which renders the cable of the spring taut, the friction upon the pulley 3 will. be sufiicient to cause the cable to carry with it the said pulley and consequently also the shaft 24 of the engine that is to be started.

If after some revolutions of the shaft 24 the engine is started, the inclined backs of theteeth of the lug 25 will force away slightly the front portion of the entire starting apparatus which is thereby automatically disengaged from the engine. If, however, the engine has not started, the spring will return the piston slowly into its initial position; the tap 22 being so adjusted as to admit gas under pressure into the cylinder when the tap lever is pressed, and will allow this gas to escape immediately the pressure is removed from the said tap lever.

If by reason of a bad adjustment, after the first explosion, the engine starts to run backward, it will carry with it the pulley 13 in the reverse direction and thus exert a strong pull upon the cable that is'wound around the pulley 10. The piston will thus be drawn slowly to the end of the cylinder,

incloses it, and since the end 13 of the cable is no longer taut, the friction of this cable upon the pulley 3 becomes m'Z, consequently any impulse which this pulley might still receive from the engine will cause the said pulley to revolve tion It-is to be unders'toodthat if theengine starts to run backward, the shock experienced by: the starting apparatus will be transmitted to thestrut whose end 27 bears firmly against the ground, in thesame direction as if the engine had started properly. he result. is that thisb ackrunning of the engine will not in any way shift the start ing apparatus. It will be merelynecessary to press again upon the lever of the tap 22 to make a fresh attempt to start the engine.

It is advisable to arrange the parts of the starting device so that they'all havea symmetry axis, because these arrangements allow of easily utilizing the apparatus, by merely reversing the parts to start engines in one orv the other direction indiscrimi nately. I g

"When the starting apparatus is employed forstartingengines fitted with a starting crank, the apparatus acts directly upon the saidcrank. For this particular case the starting apparatus is constructed as shown for example in Figs. 3 to 6. The-starting apparatus proper has the same characteristic features as the apparatus described in my sald earlier patent application, but with the following modifications Upon the cover 28 ig. 5) there is fixed a handle 29 by which the apparatus is grasped for manipulation. On the end of the cylinder 30 there is fixed a leaf spring idly in the reverse 'direc-i 31 which can serve as an elastic point of support against the ground andfulfils the same function as the strut 8 of the hereinbefore described constructional form. The

'voir containing compressed free end of the shaft 32 of the starting apparatus carries a part by means of which the apparatus is connected to the starting crank 33. This part comprises (Fig. 6) a collar 34 inside of which the axle of the crank is approximately centered by means of screws 35. A fork 36 allows the arm of the crank to pass through and also serves to drive the said arm. The screws 35 and 35' on the fork 36 are of course adjusted once for all for a given type of car. If it is desired to use the apparatus for another type of car, it issufficient to alter the adjustment of the screws in order to adapt the apparatus to the new starting crank; this is done in a moment.

The manner ofusing the improved starting apparatus is as follows :-'-The apparatus is grasped by means of the handle 29 and the collar 3 L is engaged on the crank handle 33; the end of the cylinder 30 resting on the ground through the medium of the supporting spring 31 (Fig. 7 Then the operator with his free hand presses the lever of the tap and thus connects the cylinder of the starting apparatus with a suitable resergas. By the action of the starting apparatus the crank is caused to make a few revolutions and the engine is started.-

Since the crank shaft ends in a clutch which opens automatically when the engine is started, the improved starting apparatus is gently forced back as soon as the engine begins to revolve.

What I claim is 1. In an apparatus for starting an engine mounted in an aeroplane or motor car, the combination with a starter comprising a cylinder, arranged to be worked by pressure fluid, a pulley mounted on the piston member, another pulley mounted for turning the engine shaft, a spring attached to a fixed part and a rope attached at one end to a fixed part adjacent the cylinder and at the other end to thespring andadapted to pass over the pulley for turning the engine shaft, of means for supporting said starter independently of the engine to be started, and means for connecting said starter operatively and in a disconnectible manner to said engine, whereby said engine can be started without said starter being permanently carried by said engine. a

2. In an apparatus for starting an engine mounted in'an aeroplane or motor car, the

combination with a starter, comprising a cylinder, a piston member in the cylinder,

arranged to be worked by pressure fluid, a

pulley mounted on the piston member, an other pulley mounted for turning the engine shaft, a spring attached to a fixed part and a rope attach d at one'end to a fixed part adjacent the cylinder and at the other end to the spring and adapted to pass over.

the pulley for turning the engine shaft, of

means for supporting said starter independently of the engine to be started, and

means for connecting said starter operatively and in an automatically disconnectible manner to said engine, whereby when said engine is started said starter is automatically disconnected from said engine.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ANTOINE ISIDORE oninn.

a piston member in the cylinder 40 

